USF Continues to Climb in Money Magazine Rankings

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) increased its ranking as one of the country’s best value colleges according to Money magazine. The publication ranked 727 of the nation’s best colleges and universities in its annual “Best Colleges for Your Money” listing based on quality of education, affordability and student outcomes. And while some traditional ‘big name’ institutions topped the list — Princeton ranked number 1 — USF increased its ranking relative to other schools on the list for the second straight year.

“As an investment, the value of a college degree at the University of St. Francis continues to climb. It’s really gratifying that Money magazine has recognized USF for offering high quality, award-winning degree programs in their latest rankings,” said Eric Wignall, Vice President for Admissions at USF.

“This latest recognition comes just a few days after the Princeton Review ranked USF on its annual ‘Best Colleges: Region by Region’ list for the eleventh consecutive year, and also being selected as one of Illinois’ ‘Best Online Colleges’ by BestColleges.com,” Wignall said.

In July, the university was also named a College of Distinction for the seventh consecutive year. The university earned distinctions for the nursing, business and education programs, in addition to the Catholic college distinction.

“The University of St. Francis is pleased that its commitment to student success – whether in terms of retention and graduation rates or in terms of in-field job placement – continues to be recognized in a variety of national rankings, and that our university is known for offering an educational experience that is of both high quality and high value,” USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., said. “As a welcoming community of learners, we strive for academic excellence in all programs as we prepare women and men to contribute to the world through service and leadership.”

Money ranked fewer schools this year when they reduced the list by only including institutions that had at least 500 students and sufficient, reliable data that could be analyzed. The schools also had graduation rates that were at least the median for its institutional category — public, private or historically black college or university — or had a high "value-added" graduation rate.

Listed below are the top ten colleges in Illinois, as rated by Money, for value (overall national rankings appear in parenthesis):

1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (25)
2. University of Chicago, Chicago (37)
3. Northwestern University, Evanston (86)
4. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (108)
5. Illinois State University, Normal (127)
6. Wheaton College, Wheaton (150)
7. Lake Forest College, Lake Forest (173)
8. University of St. Francis, Joliet (189)
9. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago (231)
10. Lewis University, Romeoville (264)

The University of St. Francis is consistently ranked among the best colleges and universities across the Illinois and the nation when it comes to quality education, affordability, and accessibility. To learn more about USF’s other recent rankings, please visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked/.

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves 4,100 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 49,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.